Snooker Season 2021/22

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118868799#Comment_118868799

I was thinking about Robertson and the WC. But if I remember he does not like the venue at all in Sheffield. Plus he said at the two table set up he finds the venue cramped and he cannot approach the table in the same way he likes to.

gormdubhgorm

I like Hendry's throw away phrases. Doubles are 'penalty kick' stuff for Higgins. Great way of putting it I thought. Looks like Higgins has Brecel broken already? Higgins just waiting for Brecel to make mistakes.

Sandor Clegane

Higgins starting to run away with things now.

waynescales1

This tournament deserved its own thread.

Arthur Daley

Bit of a comeback on now though

waynescales1

Worried for Higgins, looks rattled. Lost a lot of finals lately and he’s really struggling now. Got a large slice of luck after that missed red.

Arthur Daley

It'd be a kick in the unmentionables for Higgins if he can't close this out.

He has lost a lot of finals this past year or so.

Sandor Clegane

Wheels are coming off for Higgins, never ceases to amaze how drastically things can turn in snooker, 9-4 Higgins, totally dominating and now heading to 9-8 with Higgins looking totally lost.

waynescales1

8-9, Robertson slight favourite now I’d say.

Arthur Daley

Here we go, here we go, here we go....

Don't care who wins it

Arthur Daley

what bottle to play that opening red

waynescales1

Crazy plant attempt from Robertson, oh but Higgins misses a sitter!

alan partridge aha

How many finals from been way up do ya lose. Retirement might be on the cards.

waynescales1

Dear oh dear, 4-9 to 10-9, say the last thing Higgins wants to do is talk to Rob Walker.

Sandor Clegane

Neil Folds is being very forgiving, which I can understand, but lets be honest John lost that more than Neill won it, when it went 9-4 John's game just plummeted, a totally different player missing pots and not getting safety's.

Hendry being more honest and saying it as it is.

gormdubhgorm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118876684#Comment_118876684

I think it is a mental fatigue thing for Higgins. Happens too often to be a coincidence. He throws so much at a game mentally he just gets worn out. Then if he lets up a bit - standard wise he finds it hard to switch back 'on' again.

The Nal

So Jimmy only has another 2 years left now to win the Worlds! Lost 6-2 to Andrew Pagett. Ranked #109 in the world.

ArmaniJeanss

Novel complaint by Stephen Maguire - "the table was upside down".

Stephen Maguire Calls For Sackings In ‘Upside Down Tables’ Rant | Snooker (thesportsman.com)

Seems they switched the aspect so that the crowd was at the black spot end of the table rather than at the baulk end as usual. Actually seems a fine idea to me and a 'why isnt it always like this?' thing. Presumably the standard method originated back when the cameras were about 5 foot wide and would block the crowd.

Arthur Daley

The one name I have not heard all week, compared to this time last year - Is Stephen Hendry.

He does not seem to be in Sheffield at all from what I can see - blaming lack of practice. Is that it for him now, and he'll probably just play a bit on the Seniors tour.

'Still fire in the belly' – Stephen Hendry vows to continue despite World Championship snooker absence - Eurosport

ArmaniJeanss

Judgement Day One today with the first eight final qualifiers taking place.

Scott Donaldson the first man home with a 10-1 win over Allan Taylor. Lyu Haoitian should be next home, 8-1 on Dominic Dale.

Old regulars like Stephen Maguire & Ding Jinhui are involved in 5-4 matches after the first session.

Seniors champ David Lilley is 5-4 on Ding, and another 'amateur' Michael White also 5-4 up on Jordan Brown.

ArmaniJeanss

First 8 through are Scott Donaldson, Lyu Haoitian, Stephen Maguire, Michael White, Thepchaiya, Jamie Jones, Ding and Ashley Hugill.

4 of them are ranked outside the T50, but of the bigger names Ding will be awkward for any of the seeds and Maguire could get through against some of those ranked 7-16.

Tomorrow the bigger contenders are HossVaf (18) and Dave Gilbert (19) and there's a battle of beaten finalists with Ali Carter against Matthew Stevens.

ArmaniJeanss

And the final 8 qualifiers are HossVaf (current rank 18), Dave Gilbert (19), Liam Highfield (43), Noppon Sangkham (38), Matthew Stevens (55), Chris Wakelin (62), Jamie Clarke (66), Jackson Page (90).

So quite a lot of debutants and players from the lower end of the rankings, which must have caused some players in the 60s to lose their cards when they thought they were safe. Also I think we could see a lot of one sided matches depending on how tomorrows draw goes. Though obviously Gilbert is one most players will want to avoid, and Vafaei is arguably one of the most in-form players since Christmas.

ArmaniJeanss

UK Championship format is being tweaked again.

Flat 128 draw is gone - instead it will mirror the World Championship with Top 16 getting directly through to the last 32 whilst all other tour card holders and amateurs going through a series of qualifying rounds for the 16 other places.

With just 32 players in the TV stage, there'll only be two tables in play at the Barbican this year (I think it was four or even six last year).

Best of 11 is staying.

And in Irish news, Ken has got another 2 year card.

Steve Dawson Announcements - World Snooker (wst.tv)

The Nal

Enjoyed the Ken documentary on Virgin last night. Great seeing footage of Jasons. Would make a man weep.

I never knew Eamon Dunphy was so involved in his early career.

DelBoy Trotter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119037425#Comment_119037425

What Virgin Media station was it on? I completely forgot about it, and it doesn’t seem to be on the Virgin Media player 😡

dobman88

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119038305#Comment_119038305

It's on the player alright but you have to search for it by name. I had the same issue today but found it and watched it.

Didnt show up anywhere before searching it for some reason

ArmaniJeanss

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119038305#Comment_119038305

I wouldn't worry too much, it'll be repeated ad naseum for the next year (their Niall Quinn doc has been aired about 100 times).

It's definitely on next Saturday night at 22:50 on station 103, and obviously an hour later on their Plus1 station. But probably will have plenty of other airings as well.

DelBoy Trotter

Thanks lads!

Rothko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119038592#Comment_119038592

Strange. I've searched for it by name and still can't find it.

DelBoy Trotter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119042218#Comment_119042218

I couldn’t find it either when I searched by name. But I’ve set the sky box to record it on Saturday nights thanks to the above poster